Wednesday, December 23, 2015

'Tis the season for making, giving away, and eating Christmas goodies. Emphasis on the eating. Sooooo much eating going on here. I make a lot of different treats during the holidays, but my top three favorites are: candied almonds, marshmallow popcorn, and candy coated pretzels. These sweeties are so good, my neighbors, quite frankly, are lucky that we share ;)

Candied Almonds

(These are 10,000 times better than the ones you get at the mall... so good you'll never buy the hard-as-a-rock ones ever again... no matter how good they smell.)

1 cup water

3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

3 lbs almonds, with skins

Bring water, sugar and cinnamon to a boil in a large skillet, stirring constantly.

Place popped popcorn in large mixing bowl. Melt butter in separate bowl, add marshmallow, microwave 30 seconds. Add vanilla and salt. Add food coloring if you'd like. Mix well. Drizzle over popcorn & mix carefully, evenly coating the popcorn. Spread out on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray or lined with kitchen parchment. Put in 250 degree oven for 30 minutes, stirring once after 15 minutes. Add sprinkles directly upon removing from oven if you so desire. Cool, and break into pieces before serving. Store airtight. I doubt you'll have any leftover though... the snitching that goes on at my house makes it necessary for me to make 3 batches, and that's still not enough.

Candy Coated Pretzels

(Okay, this isn't really a recipe... I feel slightly silly even putting directions for these on here... But maybe there's someone out there in cyberspace who doesn't know how to make candy coated pretzels, and we can't have that. My mom made ccp's every Christmas for our neighbors... making them always reminds me of her.)

1 lb Almond Bark

Pretzels (rods or twists)

Sprinkles

Melt almond bark in the microwave for 20 second intervals (stirring between) until smooth. Dip pretzels, and place on cookie sheet lined with kitchen parchment. Top with sprinkles immediately. Place dipped pretzels in refrigerator for 10 minutes to set up. You can let them set up on the counter, but that takes longer, and you won't get to eat them as soon.

Thoroughly In Earnest...

My motto in life comes from my favorite book, David Copperfield, written by Charles Dickens. In chapter forty-two he writes:

"My meaning simply is, that whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do well; that whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself to completely; that in great aims and in small, I have always been thoroughly in earnest."

This blog is a place for me to share whatever it is I’m currently in earnest about. Whether it be recipes, craft projects, or geeking out, I hope that you will thoroughly enjoy it as much as I do!

Breakfast Recipes

Dinner Recipes

Dessert Recipes

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"My meaning simply is, that whatever I have tried to do in life, I have tried with all my heart to do well; that whatever I have devoted myself to, I have devoted myself to completely; that in great aims and in small, I have always been thoroughly in earnest."— Charles Dickens